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Family Forum / Marriage / Divorce / November 2005The Credit Report Fix
Dear Group: I'll try to be brief, I would greatly appreciate your input on a topic I am certain has been address by this forum, but here goes: I received a letter from an attorney representing my ex stating that certain accounts (credit card) have been causing my ex's credit report to be tarnished. The problem is, as per our divorce agreement, all of the accounts bearing both our names have been closed. They've been paid off and closed for SIX years now. Since that time, shes remarried as have I. Imagine my surprised when I read that tursely written letter stating that "I'd better look into this matter...or else." I contacted Chase and Keybank, and sure enough, there is NO account that bears both of our names. No records anywhere. I have letter being mailed to me to this effect. What exactly am I supposed to do? In good faith, I called and cancelled any and all accounts we had in common YEARS ago. The banks I mentioned have no more record of our old address even!! What can she do to me at this point? Our divorce was simple....no kids, no real assets to split up, 60 days and that was that. Never saw the inside of a court room. I had every reason to believe all was said and done. Hadn't heard from her or contacted her for any reason...and she did the same. Until now, that is. Advice? Suggestions? I really do appreciate any input you'd have....surely someone here has dealt with this before..... Thanks, Matt in Indiana > I'll try to be brief, I would greatly appreciate your input on a > topic I am certain has been address by this forum, but here goes: [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > stating that "I'd better look into this matter...or else." > What can she do to me at this point? Advice? Suggestions? The principal credit reporting agencies (Equifax, TransUnion and Experian) have policies about how long closed accounts remain on credit reports. My ex's bank account still shows up on my report, since its been less than 7 years since my name was removed from it. So, perhaps you can't do anything about it, but its a good idea to try to remove as many of these closed accounts from these reports as you can by making a specific request to each agency. If you have not yet reviewed your credit reports for closed legacy accounts and errors you should do so for yourself, regardless her demands. Under fair credit legislation, you may entitled to order free reports at https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp. =R= > I received a letter from an attorney representing my ex stating >that certain accounts (credit card) have been causing my ex's credit >report to be tarnished. Did they list the specific credit cards that are still showing up or are they leaving you guessing on them? Interesting that your ex hired an attorney to send a letter for this w/o contacting you first. And the lawyer did not list specific accounts??? As per antoher reply, it is vital that you get your credit report from ALL reporting agencies. Equifax and TransUnion for sure! (there is no Experian in Canada ;) I had to ride herd on Equifax for almost a full year to get them to correct my file. Equifax is the rudest most incompitant organization on the planet outside of the government. To Equifax, the businesses who order and pay for credit reports are their customers - NOT YOU. You are a necessary evil for doing business, and if you credit file is a little inaccurate, so what? They will get around to fixing it eventually, maybe. Having gotten a presonla vent/rant out of the way... What, exactly, does she think YOU can do about HER credit file???? I do not know how it is in the USA, but here in Canada I would not even be able to make an inquery into my ex's credit due to privacy laws! Your ex's credit is HER credit. If it is not correct, the SHE ALONE will have to repair it. I learned in my divorce that it is absolutely vital that you get your credit report from every rporting agency at least once per year. This is a vital way to keep tabs on things like identity theft! If there is a whole bunch of applications on your file for credit that you did not make, then it is time to hit the panic button and get into damage control mode! But if you don't order that report, then you will not know until it is too late. You can usually have a free rport mailed to you, but that takes weeks, and the agencies - Equifax in particular - make it VERY difficult to get this report because they do not want to give you anything for free. After 6 months of BULLSHIT from Equifax and not being able to get my credit report for free as is required by law here in Canada, I went on-line and got it for $14.95 in less than 3 minutes - no questions asked. You can get your on-line report very fast, but it costs. And there is a more detailed report that shows your "beacon score" or "Fico Score". I would get the more expensive one. Creditors these days usually just look at the number. If the number is too low, you wont get aproved. And there is all kinds of things that will affect the number. But all of this is mute as far as YOU being able to do anything to repair your ex's credit! The other poster is quite correct. There are time limits for record retention. These can vary from state to state, province to province and country to country. If the limit is 7 years, then she has another year to go, and you wont be able to change that. Look into ALL credit bureaus, look into statutory time limits, formulate a response, and then politely tell her - through her lawyer - to grow up and start looking after her own financial affairs, and to get stuffed. "or else" indeed. hth >> I received a letter from an attorney representing my ex stating >>that certain accounts (credit card) have been causing my ex's credit [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >leaving you guessing on them? Interesting that your ex hired an attorney to >send a letter for this w/o contacting you first. Word. Equifax are sh.t-stained a.sholes. I had an "Emerald Ring" on my credit report. WTF? I've never purchased a piece of jewlery that cost over $90 in my life. It took years for me to get them to take it off. > Dear Group: > [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > Imagine my surprised when I read that tursely written letter > stating that "I'd better look into this matter...or else." Just wondering here, but could this be a lawyer fishing expedition? Are you absolutely sure this is a valid request from the ex or some sleeze- lawyer trick for getting $$$ for "heping to clear up this matter for you"? Might be time to check with the ex to see what it's about, if you can. But I'm guessing, in my cynical and non-trusting way that it just MIGHT be a scam. Please keep the group apprised what you find- especially if it's a new scam form sleeze lawyers. good luck /v  SignatureJust some cynical and random guy, Pull the _PLUG_ to email > Just wondering here, but could this be a lawyer fishing expedition? > Are you absolutely sure this is a valid request from the ex or some > sleeze-lawyer trick for getting $$$ for "heping to clear up this matter > for you"? > But I'm guessing, in my cynical and non-trusting way that it just > MIGHT be a scam. More likely, she pulled her own credit report, saw adverse remarks on their old accounts, and got aggravated about it since they were /his fault/ back when. Its is not unusual for someone to ask a lawyer to send a demand-letter in such situations, not that the OP can do anything other than pull his CR and ask the agencies to delete the old accounts. =R= > Dear Group: > [quoted text clipped - 35 lines] > > Matt in Indiana Are you sure the attorney is representing your ex....seems like a phishing expedition. I agree, it sure does. Why not do an on-line search and make sure the lawyer is listed in the phone book. If he is, then call him to confirm that he is your ex's lawyer and is currently representing her. Get the details stright from the horses mouth. Ah, another thing, when on the phone with him, take as LONG as possible. Lawyers bill out at $200 plus per hour, that is some $16 per 5 minute increment - or $48 for 15 min or $96 for 1/2 hour! And ALL of it will be billed back to your ex. You might want to conveiniently forget to ask some quesitons, and then call back tomorrow. then recover all the original ground, just to make sure you understand it, and then cover the new stuff... Heck, this could wind up costing your ex $500 to $600 by the time you are finished! If it was my ex, this is what I would do. If she is concerned about finances, and finds that it is going to cost a lot of $$$ to get YOU to fix HER problem, then perhaps it will give her incentive to get off her butt and take care of her own business. Just a thought. :-) >> Dear Group: >> [quoted text clipped - 38 lines] >Are you sure the attorney is representing your ex....seems like a >phishing expedition. >lawyer and is currently representing her. Get the details stright from >the horses mouth. Ah, another thing, when on the phone with him, take >as LONG as possible. Lawyers bill out at $200 plus per hour, that is >some $16 per 5 minute increment - or $48 for 15 min or $96 for 1/2 >hour! And ALL of it will be billed back to your ex. Evil... I like it.. :) |
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